Prescription: Pleasure Maggie Tapert

Printversion

Years ago when I started really searching for answers to my questions about God and the Universe, I discovered that lots of folks actually believe that sexual pleasure is harmful to the developing, evolving Self. It was consider by some to be a distraction, egotistical, an illusion leading us away from what's true and important in life. And these were not just religious fanatics. No, not at all. I spent a number of years on a spiritual quest, joining (and then leaving again) groups of every imaginable description from the classical Eastern meditative variety to the outlandishly esoteric. I'd stay a while, full of enthusiasm for the teacher, in love with the followers or swept away by the beauty of the teaching. Then in time, discouraged, disappointed, unfulfilled, I'd move on to something new. Searching always searching. I even spent a short time trying to reconnect with the Catholic roots of my youth hoping to find some answers there. Along this adventurous path I had some wonderful and enlightening experiences and I learned a lot about myself. I also discovered just how destructive and  disempowering these belief systems were which separate the sacred from the sexual. It is this separation, this damning of that which is juicy, human, physically satisfying and energetically awakening which kills lust. This cutting off, judging and cursing of the powerful energy of our sexuality has left a mark on many of us. Struggling to get free in a jungle of tabus, we try once again to connect our physical pleasure to our spiritual joy.

I have noticed time and again, that the people I meet have little or no real knowledge of authentic, deep-rooted, earth-shaking pleasure. The kind that makes your blood pulse until you see stars, blasts opens all your chakras and causes tears of joy to spring from your eyes. I have observed that because suffering is much more acceptable and finds much more approval and support in our society, people tend to ignore their longing for pleasure or try to satisfy it with rough substitutes which work only on a very superficial level and of course never touch the soul. Things like fast cars, rich meals or Cuban cigars become the instruments with which we pleasure ourselves. Our bodies generally and our genitals specifically, are left completely out of the picture. Just too dangerous. Or if the genitals are a part of our pleasure program, we keep the experience within strict limits. God forbid, we should make any loud noises or move our bodies wantonly. Many people actually hold their breath when they start to experience orgasm fearing anything too deep or uncontrolled. Strong physical pleasure is just too damn risky and unpredictable to be part of our everyday lives. 

Experiencing your own deep erotic pleasure and finally knowing yourself physically and sexually can be a really dangerous thing. Dangerous for society. Dangerous for partnership and family life. It's dangerous for all the structures of society as it exists today. It's dangerous because in doing so you will finally grasp the essential experience of being in human form, of having a body. You will know what it means to be fully integrated into physicality. Grounded, here, present, on the Earth, in the world.  You will finally be in the energy that you incarnated right here on planet Earth to experience. When you get that far, you are nearly home so you don't obey rules very well anymore and you're much more difficult to control. In fact, you become a real pain in the neck. Too much freedom and the whole damn system might crash. Being free sexually is one step away from total anarchy, believe me.

Now don't get me wrong. I am not trying to overthrow the government. No way. I like living in a country where the trains run on time. I love shopping in a market where food is fresh and plentiful. I am happy that the police keep order and that it's safe to walk the streets at night. I have no desire to destroy our way of life. My life and work is about giving permission to be juicy and alive and authentic. What I am trying to do is create a space for individuals to awaken fully and take back responsibility for the lives they create and the pleasure they experience. Part of becoming conscious is the acceptance of the material body that we have manifested as vessel for both pleasure and pain and the spiritual lessons that each have to teach us. 

Imagine for a moment that you could sit on the market place lovingly stroking a beautiful hard cock and all the men and women who walked by would admire it, or maybe lovingly stroke or touch it, sprinkle it with holy water or even just smile, nod and go on about their business. Imagine what a different world this would be. If your potent hard member were honored and encouraged by your community perhaps there would be no need for violence. If we loved your cock maybe we would see the end of war. Maybe. Who knows. If women were encouraged to have bigger, louder, more voluptuous and wet orgasms and they invited, even encouraged their friends and neighbors to participate in the sacramental beauty of the experience, perhaps pornography would be transformed into a kind of sacred eroticism. Perhaps our wounded vaginas would finally heal. Perhaps.

I once studied with a wonderful teacher who turned me on to the power of the word 'YES'. It was years ago but it has become my mantra. What's yours? If you could summarize your life with one word, what would it be? Right now, just for fun, take a look inside. Take a moment and examine all the places in yourself where you choose to say no instead of yes. For whatever reasons. Especially around your sexuality. Especially around your genitals. Set this magazine down on the table in front of you and cup your hands warmly, affectionately over your genitals and say very softly to them 'yes'. Let them feel the warmth, the acceptance in your hands. Let your balls, your cock, your pussy, your clit feel the love that you are sending down from your heart. 'Yes...yes...yes' say it several times. Stay that way for just a moment feeling into the greatness of who you are with all your sexuality, your lust and your desire intact. In a world where so much is denied and so much is rejected, I challenge you to take back this abandoned part of yourself. I challenge you to take it back and experience the power and the freedom that it holds for you. I challenge you to love your sensual/sexual self. As a true expression of the union of the sexual and the sacred within. Pleasure is my prescription for healing and transforming the world. May it start with you and me.


Top
Printversion